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Cheeseburger Soup
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This easy award winning Cheeseburger Soup is the hearty recipe you need to warm your belly on a cold winter night. Not only is this soup packed full of cheesy goodness, but it’s also full of flavor that your friends and family will love!
More Recipes: Chicken and Dumplings | Lasagna Soup | Chicken and Rice Soup
Cheeseburgers are a delicious American favorite, but sometimes you just aren’t able to fry up the grill and make the perfect burger. Especially during the winter, grilling a burger can be difficult, but making soup on the stove top is a great alternative!
Many people may ask what to serve along with the ultimate Cheeseburger Soup. First off, consider serving some buttered bread or rolls to soak up that liquid cheesy goodness that’s left behind. Additionally, to lighten up your dinner, you could serve a nice side salad with it.
Ingredients for Cheeseburger Soup
- Ground Beef: one pound of lean beef
- Butter: used for sautéing the vegetables
- Onion: chopped
- Carrots: shredded or chopped
- Celery: finely diced
- Italian and Oregano Seasoning: added flavor and seasoning
- Salt and Pepper: to taste for flavor and seasoning
- Russet Potatoes: peeled and cubed
- Chicken Broth: used as the soup base and adds flavor
- All Purpose Flour: used as a thickening agent
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese: shredded off the block
- Milk: 2% or whole milk to make the soup creamy and delicious
- Sour Cream: added flavor and creamy texture
Everyone loves their cheeseburgers a different way, and this recipe can be customized as well! Cook bacon until it’s crispy and add some crumbles to the top of each bowl before serving.
If you want to add a little spice, you could consider adding either a little jalapeno to the dish or topping with some pepper jack cheese. This recipe is built on a potato soup recipe, so if you have one of your own that you love, try adding the extra ingredients to that and see how it turns out!
Cheeseburger Soup Variations
These easy substitutions and additions can easily be swapped out while still maintaining the deliciousness of this cheeseburger soup recipe!
- Meat: Depending on your dietary choices you can switch up this recipe by using ground chicken, ground turkey, or even Italian sausage depending on your preference.
- Vegetables: Incorporate more of the listed veggies or replace the existing ones. Mushrooms, bell peppers, and canned tomatoes are excellent choices that would complement this soup recipe.
- Seasonings: Feel free to add your favorite seasonings. Always begin with ¼ teaspoon and adjust to taste. For a zestier flavor, try red pepper flakes, a pinch of cayenne, or paprika.
- Cheese: Velveeta is a terrific choice for this soup and melts well. Colby Jack would also be a good substitute. For a spicier cheeseburger soup experience, try pepper jack and mexican cheese combined!
- Cream: You have options when it comes to the creamy base for this soup. Use heavy cream, whole milk, 2% milk, or even plain greek yogurt.
- Broth: Better than Bullion Beef Base, Vegetable Base, or even Chicken Base work well in this soup and give it a richer, more intense flavor.
FIRST STEP: In a 12” frying pan, thoroughly cook ground beef. Drain fat and set aside for now.
SECOND STEP: In a large 5-Quart pot with 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium-high heat, sauté onion, carrots and diced celery with Italian seasoning, oregano, salt and pepper until onions have softened (2-3 minutes).
THIRD STEP: Add in beef, potatoes, and chicken broth to the pot. Reduce heat to low, cover with lid and simmer for 10-12 minutes (until potatoes are tender).
FOURTH STEP: In a separate small frying pan, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter over medium high heat and stir in flour until it starts to bubble (2 minutes) then add this mixture to the soup stirring well to mix.
FIFTH STEP: Stir in cheese until fully melted.
SIXTH STEP: Add in milk, and bring back to a simmer.
SEVENTH STEP: Stir in sour cream until well mixed. Then remove from heat.
Best Cheeseburger Soup Toppings
- Bacon Bits: I often opt for microwaveable bacon for convenience, simply chopping it into pieces. Using leftover bacon works well too.
- Sour Cream: Enhance the soup's flavor with a dollop of sour cream, especially when paired with green onions and bacon pieces.
- Onion: Sprinkle some chopped green onions on top to introduce a crunchy texture.
- Pickles: Adding chopped dill pickles to the soup provides a delightful crunch with a little bit of zing to each bite.
- Crackers: Consider sprinkling ritz crackers on your soup for the perfect mix of buttery deliciousness with a salty crunch.
- Chips: Salty chips, like Lays or Ruffles are best if crushed and sprinkled on the top of the soup before serving.
- Cheese: Shredded cheddar with sour cream, green onions, and bacon pieces finish this soup off perfectly.
Cooking tips for the best soup
Want a tasty cheeseburger soup that's easy to make? Here's your guide! Every spoonful promises creamy goodness and chunky bites. Follow these tips to make it perfect:
- Ground beef: Use lean beef and remove any extra fat before adding it to the soup.
- Potatoes: Go for Russet potatoes since they stay firm in the soup. If using yellow or red potatoes, don't overcook them.
- Cheese: Velveeta makes the soup creamy and thick. If you're not into Velveeta, use shredded cheese, but note the soup may be a bit thinner.
- Thickener: Want a creamy soup without sour cream? Use cream cheese. It gives that rich, creamy feel you'll love.
- Adding sour cream: Take the soup off the heat before mixing in sour cream to avoid it splitting.
- Tasty topping: Make sourdough croutons by cutting a sourdough loaf into cubes and baking them until golden. Or, toast them in a pan. Just watch out so they don't burn!
Storing this Recipe
Storing Cheeseburger Soup: After your cheeseburger soup has fully cooled, transfer it to an airtight container or ziplock bag. It can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. If the soup becomes too thick upon reheating, you can add a bit of chicken broth or milk to achieve the desired consistency.
Can you Freeze Cheeseburger Soup? Certainly, but with a caveat. This soup is at its best when freshly made and served immediately. If you intend to freeze the soup from the outset, it's advisable to omit the potatoes and only add them when reheating, as they can turn mushy when frozen within the soup. After the soup has cooled down thoroughly, transfer it to a ziplock bag, ensuring you've expelled any excess air, and lay it flat in the freezer. It will remain good for up to a month. Freezing for extended periods might cause the soup's ingredients to separate, making it challenging to reheat and mix evenly.
How to reheat Cheeseburger Soup: For optimal results, warm up your soup on the stovetop or in a slow cooker. You can directly use the frozen soup without thawing. Pour the frozen soup into your pot and heat on a low setting, stirring frequently. This method helps prevent the soup from separating.
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Cheeseburger Soup
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Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter (divided )
- 1 medium white onion (diced )
- ¾ cup carrots (shredded)
- ¾ cup celery (diced)
- 1 tbsp italian seasoning
- ½ tsp oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 3 large russet potatoes ((about 3 cups) peeled and cut into bite size pieces)
- 3 cup chicken broth (low sodium)
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cup sharp cheddar cheese (shredded)
- 1 ½ cup milk (2%)
- ¼ cup sour cream (full fat )
DIRECTIONS
- In a 12 inch frying pan, thoroughly cook ground beef. Drain fat and set aside for now.1 lb ground beef
- In a large 5-Quart pot with 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium-high heat, sauté onion, carrots, and diced celery with Italian seasoning, oregano, salt and pepper until onions have softened, 2 to 3 minutes.4 tbsp unsalted butter, 1 medium white onion, ¾ cup carrots, ¾ cup celery, 1 tbsp italian seasoning, ½ tsp oregano, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper
- Add in beef, potatoes, and chicken broth to the pot. Reduce heat to low, cover with lid, and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, until potatoes are tender.3 large russet potatoes, 3 cup chicken broth
- In a separate small frying pan, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter over medium high heat and stir in flour until it starts to bubble, 2 minutes. Then add this mixture to the soup stirring well to mix.¼ cup all-purpose flour
- Stir in cheese until fully melted.4 cup sharp cheddar cheese
- Add in milk and bring back to a simmer. Then stir in sour cream until well mixed.1 ½ cup milk, ¼ cup sour cream
- Remove from heat and serve hot.
Comments
Mema says
Made this before hand to enjoy after a long Saturday of soccer. With a crusty loaf of French bread it was perfect
Kendra says
Has anyone added bacon to this recipe?
Shawnee says
This was delicious! However, I felt there was too much Italian seasoning for my taste. Probably would’ve went with a garlic and herb seasoning instead. I used Velveeta cheese instead of shredded and it turned out awesome.
Java says
This is divine! Minor changes. I didn't use celery, I don't think it was missed. I only used 2cups cheese and no sour cream and it was still creamy and thick. I also added a mushroom bouillon cube to boost the flavour. Don't skimp on the pepper, it's an important addition- I actually used a full tsp. Served with drop biscuits, the kids couldn't stop eating it! Highly recommend. Thanks, it's now a staple in my recipe box!
Pepper Troop says
This looks sooo good . Can't wait to try it . Can it be made in the crock pot ? If so , what adjustments need to be made ?
BB says
This was great! As there's lactose intolerance in my family I didn't add the sour cream, but thankfully, we can tolerate cheddar. I just added a flour-based slurry to oat milk to make the soup a little thicker. I did increase the broth to 4 cups. It turned out perfect, and we all oved it!
Candice says
This is sooooo yummy! Added a splash of pickle juice. Will definitely make again!
Courtney says
This soup is hearty and delicious! I added one whole seeded jalapeño and it was perfect! Will definitely make again.
Sandra says
Made this for supper tonight and LOVED it! Flavor was so good and it was perfect on this cold winter day. I wouldn't alter the recipe as it's perfect just the way it is written!!
Connie D says
Easy, filling recipe for cold nights.
Debra tidwell says
Thank you I enjoy your recipes and it's something new
Renee says
So, I made this tonight with a few minor changes. I used 1 1/2 lb of ground beef that I seasoned with 1 pk of onion soup mix , 4 russet potatoes instead of 3 and since I didn't have any celery or carrots I used 3T of dry ranch seasoning and 4oz of cream cheese instead of sour cream because I don't care for sour cream. The rest of the recipe stayed the same and I have to say that this soup is really good ! I was pleasantly surprised ! I had never heard of nor tried any soup of this kind so I was skeptical . But the recipe seemed simple enough and promising so I tried it. I pre-cut and measured everything before cooking ( I am a little OCD) and with her step by step directions and photos the process was smooth going. I will be making this again and again especially in the colder months. It's just so good and filling. I think next time I might change up the cheese and add some frozen peas and call it a meal . SO YUMMY
Chelle B says
Perfect as is! My family loved this soup and will definitely be made again and again. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Chad O. says
This recipe is absolutely perfect the way it is. I wouldn’t change a thing. The whole family looks it!